Throughout my television watching career, there have been very few shows I’ve watched on an actual TV as they aired. Why should I sit through advertisements and schedule my evenings around what time my favourite shows are on, when I could watch the DVD box set, or stream it online whenever I wanted? This is precisely where Netflix’s new programme, House of Cards comes in.
Netflix, the online streaming service, offers a convenient alternative to an archaic medium. Users can stream unlimited films and television shows with no advertisements for a modest monthly fee. Up until now, it has functioned much like a massive DVD library without the DVDs. However, Netflix has recently taken things a step further.
House of Cards, based on a BBC series of the same name and featuring Hollywood heavyweights Kevin Spacey and executive producer David Fincher, is a show developed specifically for Netflix.
Whereas traditional TV series air once a week during specific times of the year, House of Cards gives its viewers exactly what the Internet and DVD generation wants. On 1st February, every episode of the first season appeared on Netflix simultaneously. Viewers did not have to wait for the series to finish to get their hands on the show. They did not have to only watch it once a week. They could sit down and watch it however they wanted, whenever they wanted.
This development seems to be a logical progression for television, and Netflix is embracing the future of the medium. While TV networks are often painfully oblivious to the very existence of the Internet (Nielsen, America’s audience measurement system, only recently started considering online views when publishing television ratings), others are realizing that there is a much better way to connect with a new generation of viewers and appease their demands.
Of course, there are undoubtedly those who will miss traditional TV: sitting down to watch a show with friends or family and making something of a tradition of collectively indulging in the same programmes and car insurance commercials. But let’s be honest, that’s not going away any time soon. There are too many X Factor’s and Britain’s Got Talent’s that will keep the traditional format alive for years.
Still, as someone who is currently neglecting all social duties with marathon sessions of The Wire on a box set purchased for a fraction of the price of a TV license, I will get behind anything Netflix is doing. I suppose the next step is to actually watch House of Cards and wait for Arrested Development’s fourth season, which will follow a similar format. But for now, I’ll get back to The Wire. I will see you all in a few months.